Saturday, 23 May 2015

Review: Kromlech Stygian Noble Heads

The Thousand Sons are an iconic Chaos Space Marine faction, but has very little in model support from GW. Apart from Ahriman, a conversion kit and the Forge World items, there is little in the way of a model range for them. That's why today's product, from the amazing Kromlech catalogue of bits, is a great alternative to the same bits.

Kromlech's Stygian range is well-suited to the Thousand Sons, or indeed any Egyptian-themed force. But for today, I'm only looking at their Stygian Nobles heads. For £5.05*, you get ten heads, each pack containing two copies of five different helmet designs, all coast in resin.

The heads are of a good quality. The resin used isn't overly rubbery or brittle. There is some flex in one of the heads ("bunny ears") but it doesn't feel like the part will break in a light breeze. They are securely cast on the sprue, so there is little chance of these breaking in transit.

The helmets work out a little smaller than a typical Thousand Sons head (middle), due to a smaller crest. However, the actual "helmet" is roughly the same size, and Kromlech haven't skimped on the details. Each helmet has been lovingly sculpted and cast, and each of the five designs bears a very unique look.

As with many third party helmets, these bits fit Space Marines with no major work, a very easy swap with the standard bits. Because the crests are smaller, the heads are much easier to pose, and can offer a wider range of poses than the larger metal/resin GW ones.

This set is a worthwhile buy for any Thousand Sons player (or other lovers of the Egyptian style), as they offer modellers a bit of extra choice when it comes to making cool leaders or even basic troops. The low price and casting quality make this a great addition to models in your forces.